I’m excited about this coming year. It already feels as though there is a huge surge of energetic support and guidance beaming down on us to help us in following our true paths. To better understand these energies, know what to focus on and how best to work with the themes of the year, I consulted the I Ching. Here is my interpretation of its response*.

There’a “Splitting Apart” (hexagram 23) this year. The divide between different approaches will become more obvious. Those choosing to hold to the old ways, old beliefs and traditional ways of thinking or looking at things, may find these times increasingly scary, polarised and heavy. Those who feel the urge to focus on new ways, whether it’s consciously helping the Earth and her creatures, or working more in community, channelling creativity and optimism, or wanting to go deeper into understanding our health and how we can help ourselves holistically, will feel a greater lightness. Old mental beliefs may feel limiting, blinkered, to those seeking a deeper purpose and clarity. When we instead drop into our hearts, feeling and following empathic responses, the possibilities feel endless and connection and inspiration pour back in.

Living from our hearts

Staying in our hearts means making heart-based decisions. Every moment we have a choice about what we’re thinking, what we’re doing, what we want to focus on and manifest. We’re being urged to follow our inner truth (heart) in everything we do.  This aligns each of us with the universal energies, with the highest evolution for this planet and beyond. 

Be even more aware of when you may be following the collective ego, putting yourself in a position of inferiority, helplessness or subservience — giving away your power. Maintaining one’s inner clarity, sticking to what feels right, is even more important in this context, not to be swept along by the old paradigms and beliefs that externally still have a grip. 

Beware of absorbing others’ toxins, their negative energies, for all our toxins are beginning to come up and out now — some of us are increasingly sensing a heavier atmosphere when we’re among other people. It’s also good practice to set an intention not to let your own toxins affect or harm others or Mother Earth.

If we keep checking in with how we’re feeling when we receive information, we’ll be able to make better decisions and filter the negative and non-beneficial more effectively.

Discernment rather than judgment

When we take in information through our hearts rather than our minds, we bypass the mental judgment that creates a sense of separation between us and other. We can start to discern truth and just let go of anything that doesn’t resonate rather than criticise or resist it.

All this helps us to raise our vibration so we can be pinpoints of light across the globe, each one of us an acupuncture needle tapping into Earth’s deeper meridians and bringing through us the higher universal energies. This, I’ve come to understand, is our deeper role as human beings at this time: to be portals of higher consciousness, helping to raise the overall frequency of the planet and bring healing where there has been destruction, conflict, pain and suffering, almost all generated by humans.

 Continuing to let go of old and outworn ideas of success and progress.

Wherever possible, don’t elevate the mind and rationale over the heart and feelings. Do your best to standing true even when the ego-mind agitates about looking “successful” or “high-achieving” in the eyes of conventional society. Rational, cerebral answers will keep one locked into the same old scenarios. We’re at a turning point, where there’s a seismic shift in what constitutes reality, in what is actually real and possible. For instance, DNA is not just gradually evolving on a physical level, it’s transforming exponentially on the invisible energetic levels; most scientists won’t, of course, see or recognise that. We have the power to change our DNA through intention. In fact, our souls are constantly upgrading and fine-tuning it. We’re moving beyond a mechanical view of life and Earth. Hold to these new revelations emerging, be open to the idea that “Anything is possible!”. 

When exploring spiritual practices and realms, it’s important to stay grounded, humble, truthful to where you’re at — and not let ego ambition or comparison interfere. However much meditation, yoga or gratitude practice we do, we all have layers and layers of our shadow side to work with. These won’t just disappear. There’s no superior or inferior; that’s just an ego construct. We are humans living a messy existence — growing through our mistakes and struggles! The mantra “I am enough” may be useful at this time.

Clarity and peace are the reward for following these principles as best we can

Follow your common sense, your gut instincts, for these are part of your inner truth. Turn to your guides and higher self for clarity where needed. It’s an important time to look at false loyalties, times when we’re keeping others happy at the expense of our own inner truth and values — limiting internal beliefs such as “one must always be loyal to one’s family”. Identifying false beliefs and consciously deciding to reject them is a big part of adapting to and riding the energies of this year.  

When we trust and are in alignment with universal consciousness/energies, we attract more harmony to our lives, it flows more easily. Sincerity comes from the heart. Combine this with gratitude, and we have a powerful force for change, transformation. This further strengthens us against our ego’s fear and doubt, and increases the connection with our higher self and guides.

Welcoming the Return

The changing lines of this I Ching reading lead us to a second hexagram, The Return (hexagram 24), as the year unfolds and as we prepare the ground for 2024.

Since the winter solstice, the light has started to return, ushering in a new cycle. We truly are at a point of new beginnings in many areas of human existence, especially regarding traditional institutions and infrastructure, and in shifting the balance of power from a hierarchical approach and the fixation on profit/GDP and competition, to individual responsibility and serving the collective, working for the greater good. 

If we get caught up looking for dramatic outer changes, we may miss the subtle shifts and movements from the inside out that demonstrate how the changes are really coming about — through whistleblowers, people within structures speaking up, standing in their truth, and through organic grassroots movements founded on holistic principles. Each one of us can choose to take responsibility for ourselves and building bridges of community and collaboration. The new energies are still working their way through, and have yet to manifest into the physical. The cycles of nature don’t hurry; everything in its own time.

There is extra support from the universe, encouraging us to return to our true selves, and be more aligned with the laws of nature. This is a process of freeing ourselves of societal conditioning, of the false beliefs we’ve taken on since childhood. Each step on this path leads to increasing light and clarity. We start to realise that all the answers we seek are within us; we are responsible for our own inner landscape and for what we manifest. We always have a choice. And it’s now time to take greater responsibility for these choices, to own our decisions and actions. Modesty, humility, admitting mistakes, or where we’ve hurt others or been misguided: these are all good places to start. Blame and pride no longer feel appropriate as we increasingly take responsibility for our own lives and support those around us. 

Trusting in the ability to heal ourselves 

Our DNA responds to our thoughts and intentions! Illness becomes a useful sign, showing us where we have areas to work with in our bodies, emotions and minds. Instead of handing over responsibility for our health to doctors and medicines, we start to discover that we have the ability to heal ourselves from within, with intention, more strongly than ever! Of course we can still choose to take the pills and treatments to aid in our recovery, and surgery is often life-saving, but we actually have the power to heal ourselves. This is part of the shift into a New Earth, understanding that we’ve manifested these illnesses. They are always giving us information about what needs to be identified and released from within, especially when it comes to emotions and subconscious beliefs. This is our work, and why releasing negative and harmful beliefs and self-criticism, and taking back power from others, is crucial now. A greater understanding on this level will bring us back into alignment with ourselves and the cycles of nature. 

Rooting out conscious and subconscious prejudices 

All of which brings us back to discernment. Observing our own reactions, thoughts and beliefs, and spotting when there’s an inherent bias, and consciously releasing each one. It’s a good time to really look at our prejudices now, including our hidden ones. Root them out. In this way we can return to an open heart, to compassion for all, to oneness. 

The aim is to return to flow — the profound wisdom, of the Water element. Returning to humility is at the core of wisdom.

This is a time when like-minded individuals can come together and work towards a common goal: gathering for meditations, retreats, spiritual groups, strengthen and amplify the process, the transformations. Progress is quicker and clearer now. Again, there is direct support for this energetic work from the universe.

As we pass through this year, the more present and still we are, the more insights we’ll have… and a greater understanding of what is no longer appropriate or relevant for us as we move into this new cycle. We can embrace the “Ah-ha” moments of clarity, rekindle our optimism and revitalise our energies. Exciting times!

With love

Saffron

*With inspiration from the translations of Carol K Anthony, Richard Wilhelm and RL Wing. 

January 2023